1. Field of the Invention
The embodiments of the present invention relate generally to the area of adaptive devices designed to aid individuals having one or more impairments, such as, for example dyslexia or low vision. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to systems and devices that are capable of transforming printed text obtained from a variety of sources or media formats into more user-accessible forms.
2. Background Information
The conveyance of information through text-based media is a ubiquitous phenomena in society. For some, however, the ability to acquire information contained in text-based media can be a daunting if not impossible task. Such individuals include, for example, those having learning difficulties, blindness, and visual impairments such as those arising from diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and glaucoma.
Recent studies indicate that at least one in twenty individuals has dyslexia, a reading disability and the most common type of recognized learning disability (LD), and at least one in ten is affected with other forms of LD that limit the ability to read or write symbols. Reading-related LDs are genetic neurophysiological differences that affect a person's ability to perform linguistic tasks such as reading and spelling. A disability can vary across a population, exhibiting varying degrees of severity and amenability to remediation. The precise cause or pathophysiology of LDs such as dyslexia remains a matter of contention. Current efforts to remediate reading difficulties, such as dyslexia, fall short of remedying the difficulty in a large proportion of affected individuals. Further, the lack of systematic testing for the disability leaves the condition undetected in many adults and children.
In addition to the LD population, there is a large and growing population of people with poor or no vision. As the populations in many countries age, the low/no vision population is increasing. Difficulties in reading can interfere with performance of simple tasks and activities, and deprive affected individuals of access to important text-based information. Thus a need exists to provide individuals who are unable to read well or at all with the ability to garner information from text-based sources.